KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 — Damansara MP Gobind Singh Deo today suggested that the Dewan Rakyat call in Kuala Kangsar MP Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid regarding the issue of the latter being allegedly blackmailed into supporting Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Citing Section 4 of the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Power Act) 1952, Gobind said that the Dewan Rakyat has the power to take action on any party who has been found guilty of contempt.

"The question that arises is why have we as MPs not taken action?

"As Parliament, do we not have the power to request the Member who has made the complaint to come forward, give us the information on whatever had happened, then if a party is named there, we can call them to this House, ask them what really happened and if we find that the complaint is really true, we take action,” he said.

He said it does not matter which party the threat had come from, the issue must be stopped.

He added that similar issue was heard when Perikatan Nasional (PN) was in power.

Later, Pendang MP Datuk Awang Solahuddin Hashim expressed his agreement with Gobind’s suggestion, adding that there was historical precedence.

He said previously there were four MPs from Sabah who were brought forward but did not specify further.

However, Gobind said that the case mentioned by Awang Solahuddin was slightly different as it did not involve threats from outside parties.

Section 4 of the of the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Power Act) 1952 states that the House has the power necessary to enquire into, judge and pronounce upon the commission of any such acts as are made punishable as contempt under Section 29, as well as the awarding and carrying into execution the punishment provided by the Act.

Section 29 says that any person who has committed an offence against section 10 or 11 and has been adjudged guilty of contempt by the House may, in addition to any other penalty to which he is by this Act or any other law liable, be sentenced to imprisonment for such period not exceeding sixty days as is determined by the House.

Last Friday, PN secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin condemned the unity government for abusing its power after allegedly blackmailing Iskandar Dzulkarnain so that the government was able to achieve two-thirds of the majority support in Parliament.

He further claimed that the Kuala Kangsar MP was brought to meet with an MACC officer in a hotel at Damansara on October 1.

On October 12, the Kuala Kangsar MP decided to show support for the prime minister, who is also the Tambun MP, due to the voters’ complaints and the need to tackle the rising cost of living crisis in his constituency.